When Trinity coach Rick Arnold hands the baseball to Brody Heil, he does so with confidence.

“He’s been playing varsity baseball here since he was a sophomore, which was my first year coaching,” Arnold said of his senior pitcher. “He’s been through all of the trials and tribulations and ups and downs since I’ve been here, which is refreshing. I trust him a whole lot.”

Heil has earned that trust. Last year, the left-hander went 6-3 with a 1.88 earned-run average for the Shamrocks. So far this season the 6-foot, 180-pounder, who has signed with the University of Louisville, is 5-1 for Trinity (18-4-2), which is No. 1 in the Kentucky High School Baseball Coaches Association poll.

“He took it to another level last year, which was progress. And then this year he’s gone to even another level,” Arnold said. “I think when he gets to Louisville and plays for (pitching coach) Roger Williams the sky could be the limit.”

Q: When did you start playing baseball?

A: I started in T-ball, but I was not very good at all. I played two years of Little League and then I quit, and I didn’t play again until sixth grade. I’ve been playing ever since.

Q: Why did you quit?

A: I just wasn’t good. I was always alright at pitching and I liked to hit, but I wasn’t good at it. So once I started to work at it, it started to get more enjoyable for me.

Q:Is that when you started taking lessons from former Major Leaguer Chris Burke?

A: Yes. That’s when everything started (clicking).

Q: When did you start having success as a pitcher?

A: Probably my seventh- and eighth-grade years in (Oldham County) middle school when we went to the state tournament and we played, I think it was PIkeville and Anderson County, and I had 14 strikeouts in each game. I think that’s when everyone noticed I was alright.

Q: Was that when you started thinking that you had a future in the sport?

A: I wasn’t really thinking much about that, because I really didn’t know much about how competitive baseball was when I was in seventh grade. I just thought it was a game everyone played for fun. But then it was my eighth-grade year when I decided to come here that I really wanted to take it seriously and that’s when I decided not to play basketball in high school, because I played in middle school, and just focus on baseball.

Q: What do you like about baseball?

A: I like everything about it. You’ve got to be smart to play it, it’s a fun game, you’ve got to be witty sometimes. The competition’s fun, hitting’s fun, pitching’s fun. I also like that it’s the only game that the defense has the ball.

Q: You’ve already signed with U of L, why did you pick the Cardinals?

A: Because it’s home and I wanted to stay home. At first, I was being stubborn when they first came around, I didn’t really want to go there because I kind of wanted to leave. But after going and visiting other schools, I just realized Louisville’s the best place for me.

A: Actually I didn’t feel as good as I usually do. I didn’t feel like the ball was coming out as well as it usually does, but coaches and everyone else were telling me it was, so maybe it was just in my head.

Q: What’s the goal for this season?

A: This season it’s to win the state championship; that’s everyone’s goal. Ours as a team is to just do the best we can, play the best we can, try to stay within ourselves and not try to do too much.

Q: What’s your go-to pitch?

A: Probably my fastball.

Q: Who’s your favorite baseball player?

A: Marcus Stroman (of the Toronto Blue Jays).

Q: Why?

A: Because he’s just got this fight to him and this swagger that is just the best. And he’s an undersized guy and he doesn’t let that affect him in any way. He goes out there and plays his game.

BRODY HEIL UP CLOSE

School: Trinity.

Year: Senior.

Sport: Baseball.

Student-athlete: Brody, who has a 3.4 GPA, says his favorite subject is history.